TAS Store(https://store.theabsolutesound.com) Subscriber Services $ Login(/accounts/login/?next=/articles/aretha-franklin-live-at-fillmore-west/) Register(/accounts/register/?next=/articles/aretha-franklin-live-at-fillmore-west/) (/) Search our site... Equipment Show Reports(/articles/? News(/articles/? Reports(/articles/? Blogs(/articles/? Forums(/forums/) Answers(/answers/) Buyer's type=review) type=news) type=show_report) type__in=blog,show_report) Guides (http://www.facebook.com/theabsolutesound) (https://twitter.com/#!/TAS_magazine) (/articles/feed/) (/accounts/newsletter/?next=/articles/aretha-franklin-live-at-fillmore-west/) 5 Like ARETHA FRANKLIN: LIVE AT Album review(/articles/?type=album_review) SEARCH MUSIC Tweet FILLMORE WEST Enter Keywords... Search by Duck Baker(/articles/?authors=17) | Feb 16th, 2015 FEATURED MUSIC SPONSORS Aretha Franklin Live at Fillmore West Label: Speakers Corner Media: LP Genre: Rock/pop Ratings: Music ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆ FEATURED MUSIC Sonics ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆ Jeff Beck: Live+(/articles/jeff-beck-live/) Tony Bennett: At Carnegie Hall(/articles/tony-bennett-at-carnegie-hall/) Abdullah Ibrahim: The Song Is My Story(/articles/abdullah-ibrahim-the-song- When this record was made in 1971, the Queen of Soul was riding the crest of the wave that catapulted is-my-story/) her to international fame in the late 1960s. Soul singers take things to a different level live than in the recording studio, and it seems that producers Jerry Wexler and Arif Mardin wanted to make sure to get Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble: the most out of this occasion (perhaps owing to general disappointment with the 1968 release, Aretha Texas Hurricane(/articles/stevie-ray- in Paris). For the four-day Fillmore gig, Aretha was backed not by her usual band, but by King Curtis vaughan-and-double-trouble-texas- and the Kingpins (which included such luminaries as Billy Preston on organ and Cornell Dupree on hurricane/) guitar), the Memphis Horns, and the Sweethearts of Soul on backup vocals. Getting all of these Duke Ellington: Masterpieces(/articles/duke- elements to come together must have been quite a challenge, but come together they certainly did. ellington-masterpieces/) One can feel how excited these musicians were to be participating in this event, and Aretha soars above the collective energy with some of her more remarkable performances on record, capped by her own song, “Spirit in the Dark,” with Ray Charles sitting in. Spine-tingles guaranteed! Recording quality is quite good, though the balance isn’t perfect. MORE INFO Contributors: primary artist, Aretha Franklin 2 Comments The Absolute Sound !1 Login ♥ Recommend 2 ⤤ Share Sort by Best Join the discussion… Jancuso • 8 months ago If you love live recordings where you can feel the excitement, this is one of the best! Thrilled to see it re-issued. You get the Queen, plus King Curtis, the band (Bernard 'Pretty' Purdie's on drums) and then Ray Charles shows up! Magic! △ ▽ • Reply • Share › JAFANT • a year ago I will add this one to my must-buy list- Duck! I love your name/moniker DB. △ ▽ • Reply • Share › ✉ Subscribe d Add Disqus to your site Add Disqus Add % Privacy.